North Carolina Court Summary

The North Carolina trial court system consists of Superior Courts, District Courts, The North Carolina Business Court, and Family Courts.

North Carolina has a unified court system referred to as the General Court of Justice. Superior Courts and District Courts are the trial court divisions of the North Carolina General Court of Justice. The North Carolina Business Court is a specialized court division composed of Superior Court judges that handle complex business and commercial cases. Superior Courts have general jurisdiction over all civil and criminal cases, but generally handle cases beyond the jurisdiction of District Courts. District Courts have limited jurisdiction over certain types of civil and criminal cases. The North Carolina General Court of Justice has also established Family Court divisions in some District Courts to handle domestic relations, mental health and juvenile cases that would otherwise be heard by Superior or District Courts.


First Name	MI	Last Name	State

I entered a partial first name above

Where to find court cases in North Carolina

The chart below gives general information on the types of cases heard in each type of court in North Carolina.

= Most or all cases.

= Some cases.

Case Type	Court Type
Civil	Superior Courts	District Courts
General Civil - Unlimited
General Civil - Limited
Small Claims
Civil Equity
Complex Commercial
Foreclosures and Liens
Real Estate Title and Boundary
Landlord / Tenant
Ordinance Violations
Protection, No Contact, and Restraining Orders
Administrative Agency Appeals
Criminal	Superior Courts	District Courts
Felony
Felony Preliminary Hearings
Misdemeanors
Ordinance Violations
Juvenile
Traffic and Infractions		$Most or all Traffic and Infractions cases can be found in the District Courts$
Domestic Relations	Superior Courts	District Courts
Divorce
Child Custody and Visitation
Child Support
Paternity
Domestic Violence Protection Order
Juvenile	Superior Courts	District Courts
Adoptions
Juvenile Delinquency
Child Abuse and Neglect
Termination of Parental Rights
Children in Need of Supervision
Mental Health	Superior Courts	District Courts
Involuntary Commitments
Other Mental Health Cases
Probate	Superior Courts	District Courts
Wills & Estates
Name Changes
Trusts
Guardianships and Conservatorships

Note: Some courts in North Carolina are not included in the chart above. Please use the following links for descriptions and types of cases heard:

The North Carolina Business Court Family Courts

North Carolina Courts Summary